


Strange Bedfellows

by GentleTisiphone



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Earth Kingdom (Avatar), F/M, Smooching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:20:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25548856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GentleTisiphone/pseuds/GentleTisiphone
Summary: Running from a crazy firebending prodigy makes for strange bedfellows. Hiding in a small hut in some nameless Earth Kingdom village team avatar gets some insight into Zuko, Mai shows a bit of her true loyalties well before the Boiling Rock, and Toph and Iroh get some entertainment. A small A/U moment
Relationships: Mai/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 141





	Strange Bedfellows

Of all the places to hide from the terrifying fire nation princess a small home in a nameless Earth Kingdom village was not the worst. 

But the said princess was currently searching the village for them with her two underlings…

… while her brother and uncle, who had previously been the biggest threat to their little team, were hiding in the same tiny hut.

Katara, needless to say, wasn’t thrilled. Sokka was deeply suspicious. And Aang was very, very uncomfortable.

Toph and Iroh both appeared unconcerned with the forced mingling of their groups, And Zuko, it seemed, could not care less that he and his uncle were currently hiding with enemies. He was focused on listening at the door and trying to see how close the danger remained.

Suddenly Zuko straightened jerkily darting his eyes back to the group then to the door again. 

Someone was coming? 

As soon as Katara could process this the door was flung open and there stood one of the fire princess’s friends, the gloomy looking one who threw knives and was willing to give up her baby brother. 

Flat gold eyes took in the scene as Katara, Toph, and Aang prepared to bend at her, Sokka stood poised with his trusty boomerang, and Iroh just sat where he was, still appearing unconcerned. And Zuko was locked on to the girl with a burning precision. But his face was unreadable. 

The girl’s eyes seemed to sharpen as they took in the banished prince. Then a voice called from afar, “Mai, have you found any clues to where they might have scurried off too?”

Both Zuko and his Uncle tensed. The girl’s, Mai’s, eyes shifted back towards the outside then narrowed.

“I wish, that would be intersting. But its just more of this dismal, wretched green. This place truly is a worse fate than death.” She called back, her eyes meeting Zuko’s as the lie slipped off her tongue.

From even further off outside the other girl, (the chipper, dangerous one) gave a shout, and the girl at the door's body posture relaxed as the princess gave the order for her to finish the search on her own then follow.

She gave a sigh, tipped her head slightly to General Iroh and spun around to leave.

“Mai-” Zuko managed to choke out, then, giving up on words he impulsively grabbed her wrist. 

To the surprise of everyone in the small room he swiftly and decisively pulled the young noblewoman into his arms and into an ardent kiss. 

Katara and Aang turned bright red at the fervor of the embrace, Sokka’s jaw dropped that the typically angry, but apparently now smooth, fire nation teen.

Mai, who had previously always seemed harsh and unyielding, melted in Zuko’s arms. Her own hands coming up to run long fingers through his short-cropped hair. Until one came around to delicately trace the edge of his scar. Zuko jerked back his eyes desperately searching Mai’s face, even as her hand remained on his face. 

Zuko gasped out a few desperate words, managing a, “Don’t- I… Mai, you don’t have to-”

But the girl, cut him off with a dry, “Don’t be so dramatic Zuko.” She gave him a small smile and pulled him back down for another kiss.

At this point the feelings of everyone else in the hut had settled solidly on deeply uncomfortable. Except for Toph who had a huge grin on her face and Iroh who also looked amused, but less maniacal than the blind earthbender. 

“I have to go.” Mai said as she pulled away from Zuko once more, Katara noted that her face was far softer than usual and slightly flushed. Her fingers continued to gently stroke his face, dancing along the edge of his scar. The expression on Zuko’s face was the most peaceful that the young waterbender had ever seen.

“Azula will be missing me soon and none of us want her coming back around to find you here.” That Mai would face grave consequences for lying went unsaid. 

“Do you have to go? If Azula finds out you helped me…” Zuko asked quietly pressing his forehead to hers, one hand still buried in her dark hair.

Mai just sighed and looked at Zuko impassively.

“Try to stay out of trouble I can’t save you from.” Was her dry retort.

Iroh gave an amused snort. Mai then placed a soft kiss on the line where his scarred flesh met his unblemished skin and pulled out of his embrace. But Katara noticed that his hand had slid down to hold Mai’s. As if not willing to let her go yet.

Meeting Sokka’s eyes the assassin twisted her mouth slightly, but then seemed to come to a decision. 

“You’re giving yourselves away to tracking beasts with your scent, try some more back-tracing and following along rivers to throw off the trail.”

Sokka gaped at the intelligence. It was certainly help from an unexpected quarter. “We’ll uhh… give that a try?” He stammered out.

Mai nodded, accepting the halted response.

Stepping towards the door her arm stretched out as Zuko refused to relinquish his grip. The look on his face was a mix of so many emotions it was hard to pick out one. Sorrow, pain, loneliness, desperation? But Katara noticed that, for the first time since she'd first seen the banished prince, there wasn’t any anger.

He raised the hand he was holding to his mouth and pressed a slow, lingering kiss to Mai’s palm, his eyes locked on hers the whole time. Katara felt herself blushing at the intensity of his gaze, she felt like a spectator looking in on something deeply private.

But then the young noblewoman was gone from the hut, leaving her prince (lover? Katara wondered) gazing at the door.

“How nice to see Lady Mai again,” Iroh finally broke the silence with a mild tone, “She has certainly grown into a lovely young woman, and it seems her affection for you hasn’t diminished in the three years you’ve been apart… and it looks as though that affection is mutual…” the last part was added with a sly grin.

“What-I! Uncle, arrrggg-” Zuko’s face was bright red at this point. Was this really the evil fire nation prince who had chased them around the world? He was so awkward. 

“…We should give them time to get further away then depart in separate directions,” Sokka interrupted Zuko’s unintelligible grumbling and the prince cast the water tribe warrior what only be called a grateful look. 

With one more wistful, longing look at the door Zuko exhaled a plume of smoke from his nose. And sat down beside his uncle looking terribly lost and terribly young. 

Later after the two fugitive members of the fire nation’s royal family had gone their own way Katara contemplated the bizarre episode. She wasn’t comfortable with the thought of Zuko as a person beyond being her enemy, but clearly he had a more a life than hunting Aang. Or had one, before his banishment. 

Katara felt herself flush again as she thought about Zuko and Mai’s embrace. Iroh had outright stated that they hadn’t seen each other in three years. For the first time she imagined how if felt for Zuko to have been cast out of his home at 13 years old, younger than she was now. Torn from all he loved, the home he knew and even the girl he obviously cared for.

The girl who obviously cared for him in return. The same girl who had been willing to not trade for her baby brother and who had teamed up with Azula to hunt all of them down. But… Katara remembered the pause when Azula called off the trade, Mai hadn’t agreed right away and even today Mai had implied that not going with the princess wasn’t an option for her. 

Could these people be more complicated than Katara had thought? The desperateness of the embraced resurfaced in her mind. They had spent three years apart, and Iroh had mentioned later, when Zuko and Sokka had gone out to cautiously scout, that banishment meant no contact with anyone at home, no letters and no goodbyes. He had however implied that Mai had flaunted the latter of these rules. 

How strange to think that such an impassive and apathetic girl was so willing to risk the consequences for the fire prince. Both years ago when the rest of his nation was willing to cast him out, and now when his sister’s wrath threatened like a lightening storm on the horizon.

Zuko’s face had been so peaceful, so relieved when Mai had gently touched his burn scar, like a benediction. And the rest of the kiss… Katara flushed again.

“I may not be able to see your face Sugar Queen, but I can feel your heart rate and I can tell you’re embarrassed.” Toph’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Thinking of that little show earlier?” Toph gave Katara a leering grin.

“Don’t be crude!” Katara scolded. But Toph was right. Seeing Zuko as a desperate lover had been a revelation. Katara had hated the fire nation for so long it was strange to see a fire national as anything but hateful. 

And Mai had saved them today, even if it was only to save Zuko. That too was something to think about. 

“Is everything ok Katara?” Aang asked her gently. The young avatar had been incredibly quiet since their unlikely truce in the hut. Through the display of affection the air nomad had been bright red, but also vaguely fascinated. Katara waved off his concern and went back to preparing camp, studying Aang as she did so.

Perhaps he too was rethinking his perspective of the banished prince who had hunted him even before he had been freed from the iceberg. 

Miles away Zuko and Iroh sat around a small fire in a shallow cave. Iroh was cooking some fish they had managed to catch, but Zuko sat quietly, he had been quiet all afternoon. 

His life was not what he wanted, not what he expected, but today, for just a few minutes, it hadn’t been bad at all.

He could still feel the warmth and weight of Mai’s slender body against his own. Still feel the impression of her new curves and sleek muscle. And most of all still feel the imprint of her hungry lips and the brush of her gentle fingers. Zuko had learned some of his uncle’s firebending techniques during banishment, but for the first time he had felt like he truly could have breathed fire. As if his whole body had become molten and burning. 

Burning for Mai certainly had an appeal, burning with Mai even more so. Her porcelain skin, her lustrous hair, the tilt of her eyes, all the things that had made his heart beat faster at thirteen were now augmented by the changes in the past few years, her new height and figure, the boldness of her affection, but most of all that she chose to help him over an order from Azula.

Even though he knew it would put them both in danger he couldn’t help but hope that they would meet again.

Zuko let out a rare smile and rejoined his uncle at the fire. Feeling lighter than he had in years he settled down for a truly subpar dinner, and it tasted delicious.

**Author's Note:**

> Its been ages (literally years) since I wrote anything and consequently had anything beta-ed, so I apologize for any stupid errors I missed.
> 
> I don't know where Appa is during this, as I'm not really solid of when it is supposed to take place. But I couldn't get the idea out of my head of Zuko laying one on a very willing Mai and totally throwing the Gaang for a loop.
> 
> And the next thing I knew I was writing...


End file.
